DISCUSSION ENG 10

Essay 3 is a researched analysis of a theme, character, conflict, or dramatic aspect of Fences by August Wilson. Your essay can be rooted in at least one of the approaches below, or these may spur you to take another approach not listed—that’s fine. And you may be able to combine one or more of these—that’s also fine. Some starting points: • Review the Arthur Miller essay “Tragedy and the Common Man” (linked in the Unit 3 subfolder “Additional readings and viewings”): trace his argument, determine his main assertions. Does Fences fit Miller’s definition of tragedy? Why or why not? • Many characters in classic tragedy possess a so-called “tragic flaw,” some trait that befalls them in the end. Does Troy have such a flaw? If so, what is it and how does it get in his way? (If he does not have a tragic flaw, you can develop the essay to show why not.) For guidance, review “Aristotle and the elements of tragedy” in the subfolder “Additional readings and viewings” in Unit 3. • Grapple with the idea of Troy as a tragic hero. How well or badly does he fit this definition, and why? See the abovementioned document(s) for guidance. • Is Troy a responsible person, as he says he is? Refer to his recollection of his father in 1.4 for inspiration. (It will be helpful to clarify what “responsibility” is in the context of the play.) • Analyze Troy in one or more of the roles he assumes: father, husband, head of household, authority figure, caretaker, worker,African-American male, etc. • How much has Troy built his own life, and how much has he had his life forced upon (or chosen for) him? (If you wish, you can answer this question for Rose in addition to [or instead of] Troy.) • Is Troy’s life important? Does he die in vain, or does he leave some kind of legacy? (See in particular the final scene of Act Two.) • Analyze another character who interests you or intrigues you (Rose, Cory, Lyons, Bono, Gabriel, etc.): What makes him/her tick? What are his/her personality traits? Is this person meant to be sympathized with? How do these traits affect the happenings of the play? • Analyze the exchange between Cory and Rose in 2.5. Has Cory successfully escaped Troy’s “shadow” by this point? Why or why not?

2 • The play draws extensively on the language and images of baseball. Take a few key scenes which do this and analyze the larger purpose they might have. • Analyze the role of fences in the play, both literal and symbolic (and also why the play might be titled Fences). What significance or importance do they have? (For another take on fences, read Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall” at http://www.bartleby.com/118/2.html and compare this “fence” idea in the poem and the play.) • Using your own knowledge and experience, construct 1) a good working definition of the “American dream” and 2) how the dream might apply to Troy: what it’s made of, how it’s typically achieved. What does Fences have to say about the American dream? Is the dream achievable? Is failure to achieve the dream due to personal shortcomings or more systematic flaws? • Fences doesn’t have the happiest of endings. But how could the ending of the play be interpreted as positive for one or more of the characters? (This one might require you to speculate a little bit.) Other activities during Unit 3 will also hopefully be a springboard for your writing. Take a topic or angle we’ve broached and explore it further. But please don’t simply repeat things you’ve seen posted; put your own stamp on them. No plot summaries. This is not a book report. It’s fine to explain the significance of a small portion of the play to advance the argument you are making, but plot summary isn’t allowed as an end in itself and will be penalized if done in excess. But no matter what approach you take, I recommend you begin with something small: a scene, dialogue, description, or other short passage that interests or intrigues you. Why are you drawn to it? What’s happening here, beyond plot and story? What significance or weight does it seem to have? See if you can first “freewrite” some ideas and get some rough material down; don’t worry about how it sounds at first. Eventually, of course, your main task is to shape your rough writing and initial ideas into an essay with a recognizable introduction, body, and conclusion, and an overall main point which asserts something which can be developed and backed up with specific evidence. Sources: You must cite at least three secondary sources in your essay, in addition to your primary source, Fences (for a minimum total of four). Secondary material must come from one or more of the following locations: • The GSU library databases • Print books (critical essay collections, critical biographies) • Print periodicals (magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers) • An Internet-based search engine (Yahoo, Google, etc.). Only one of your cited secondary sources may come from such an engine.

3 Incorporate material from outside sources sparingly and wisely. Pick only the best material that truly supports what you have already written or thought. Only use direct quotations that say it better than you can; otherwise, paraphrase and summarize when you want to borrow. Don’t let secondary sources drown your voice. See the link to GSU library tutorials, located in the Week 5 folder. Begin here for assistance in locating quality sources and searching more efficiently. You have a limited amount of time, so please contact me if you need suggestions or help with evaluating what you find. Giving proper credit: Whenever you borrow from another source, you must give that source credit. Failure to do so is plagiarism and can result in your failing this assignment and/or the entire course. As before, two types of documentation are required: in-text (or parenthetical) documentation and the Works Cited page, both in current MLA format. Points will be deducted for serious and repeated documentation errors; make sure you follow the correct format.